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In Janine, You've Changed, by comparing new and old photographs of Janine, the Ghostbusters discover she has physically transformed during the last few years! As Janine feels less and less appreciated and attractive to the guys, the more she lets her Fairy Godmother change and possess her.[2]

Police and a crowd stood outside a pottery store as the Ghostbusters finished up a job. A police officer reassured a woman the Ghostbusters were professionals. A Proton Stream shattered a window. A piece of pottery landed on Peter's head and Egon removed it for him. Winston searched for the ghosts. The two ghosts flew past Winston and slimed him. They possessed vases, made them bigger, and attacked. Egon, Peter, and Winston shattered the vases then trapped the ghosts. Winston advised the others it was best to make sure the place was all clear but wondered where Ray was. Egon believed Ray was still upstairs. They heard Ray's footsteps and soon enough, Ray emerged from a stairwell that led to the roof. Ray quickly shut the door and muttered. Peter was nonchalant and tried to open the door despite Ray's misgivings. A swarm of possessed cockroaches came down the stairwell. The guys struggled to keep the door closed.

At the Firehouse, Janine fondly flipped through a scrap book of photographs. Ecto-1 returned and the Ghostbusters wearily marched out, covered in slime. Peter handed Janine something wrapped up. She unwrapped it and thought it was a wand. Peter revealed it was a roach antennae and reveled in the prank. Janine threw her scrap book and one of her shoes at him but missed. Looking through the book, Slimer realized Janine has gone through numerous changes over the years. Slimer peeked at Janine as she read a Detective Romance novel and flew up to find Peter. Slimer accosted Peter while he took a shower. Peter finally agreed to hear him out. He saw the photos and became concerned. Winston peeked at Janine from the stairs then went back up to the guys. Ray asked the obvious question, why no one noticed the changes until now. Egon mused a supernatural force could have prevented them from noticing. He affirmed a thorough investigation was required. Ray added they shouldn't tip off Janine yet.

While Janine was on the phone, Egon lied down on the top of the cabinet behind her with a P.K.E. Meter. Ray walked past her with Ecto Goggles on and pretending to read a newspaper. Slimer took measurements with a tape measure. Janine became irritated and declared she was taking the rest of the day off. Egon sent Slimer to follow her around. In the lab, Ray and Egon activated the Holographic Comparison Grid and went over the data collected. Janine's Brooklyn accent was gone, she was 7.5 centimeters taller, her bone structure was changed, and even her cells were altered. Egon's greatest fear was also confirmed, traces of ectoplasmic energy confirmed whatever changed her wasn't human.

Janine returned to her apartment and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Unsatisfied with herself, Janine summoned her Fairy Godmother. She arrived and asked if Janine was sure she wanted to be changed, it was the third time this week. Janine was sure and asked to be an inch taller, to lose a few pounds, and to have green eyes instead of blue. The fairy granted her wish. Janine was elated and hugged the fairy. The Fairy Godmother saw Slimer watching them and quickly left. Slimer left as well but was confronted by the fairy in the alley outside. She summoned three Spectral Dogs and ordered them to destroy Slimer. Slimer flew away and tried to hide in a bus. One of the dogs eventually found him hiding in a Ghostbusters advertisement. Slimer managed to make it back to the Firehouse just after 11:44 pm. The guys scrambled and caught two of the dogs. The last one proved too fast. Peter got an idea and tricked it with a game of fetch. When it stopped and caught a record, Winston trapped it. Egon looked around for his missing record. Peter silently looked at the trap.

The guys finished reading Slimer's report but Winston voiced his skepticism. Egon agreed and believed it was a supernatural force disguised as a Fairy Godmother - a Makoveris Lotsabucks. It fed on peoples' desires to look good and made them inhumanly perfect. Ray recalled the entity and added there was a legend about how the Lotsabucks lived near water and used it as their strength. As the guys discussed a course of action, the Lotsabucks eavesdropped on them near the skylight. Egon feared the Lotsabucks would turn Janine against them and they could already be too late. Winston declared they had to move immediately. The Lotsabucks went to Janine and woke her up. She convinced Janine she was in danger and needed to follow her. While in transit, Peter asked if it was possible to change Janine back even if they were too late. Egon wasn't so sure it was feasible. The guys checked out Janine's apartment but it was empty. Egon handed everyone P.K.E. Meters attuned to the Lotsabuck's energy field and they split up to save time. An angry man yelled at Peter for making noise at 4:37 in the morning then threw a shoe at him.

Egon was at a wit's end but recalled Ray mentioning the Lotsabuck's connection to water. He figured something out and ran off. In a harbor, the Lotsabucks tried to finish her scheme and get Janine to say she wanted to be pretty like the Lotsabucks. Janine agreed, went berserk over never being noticed, and attacked Egon. Egon stripped off his Proton Pack and told he loved her and everyone else, too. Janine snapped out of it and shot the Lotsabucks. The Lotsabucks retaliated but Ray, Peter, and Winston blasted her. Ray then disengaged to throw out a Trap and captured the Lotsabucks. Janine rose into the air and a bright flash blinded everyone. Janine was back to normal and hugged Egon. Egon hugged her back. Ray, Peter, and Winston left them to go check on Ecto-1. Egon and Janine sat on a bench and watched the sun rise. Egon asked her to go on a date with him, perhaps a science film. He surmised it would be fun.

This episode explains all the changes Janine went through over the seasons. Egon even notes her Brooklyn accent disappeared.[4]

Previous to this episode, the focus on Slimer incorporated into the series failed to yield the TV ratings the show once had. ABC approached former story editor J. Michael Straczynski and offered him his former position. Straczynski declined the offer because of other commitments at the time, but agreed to write five episodes on the condition they would be done in the way it was done during his tenure on the series.[5]

Ray comes up with an excuse to get everyone else back to Ecto-1 before someone strips it. Previously, Ecto-1 was stripped once in "The Grundel", which is also another episode written by J. Michael Straczynski.

↑Janine Melnitz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Janine, You've Changed" (1990) (DVD ts. 18:46-18:49). Time Life Entertainment. Janine says: "Ever since I was a little girl, they made fun of me. Said I wasn't pretty enough."